History & Culture

With its mighty Tajo and Guadiana rivers, its wild and desolate mountain ranges and its rolling plains, Extremadura is one of the most unspoiled regions of Spain, bordering Castile to the north and east, Portugal to the west and Andalucía to the south. It is an indisputably beautiful area, and there are times of the year when the landscape is stunning, especially when the valley of La Vera fills with cherry blossoms in spring. But there is much more to Extremadura than scenic beauty or the sight of a golden eagle soaring over the hills of ilex and cork trees, and thousands of storks nesting in church belfries.

The Romans left traces of their passage through this region, building majestic bridges, such as the ones at Mérida and Alcántara, and the spectacular Roman remains of Mérida are world renowned. Caesar's legions were here to mine silver from the ravines of the Sierra de Gata, which borders Extremadura to the north. The so-called Roman "Silver Route," with its fine roads, bridges, aqueducts, temples and cities was the result of the Romans' quest for this precious metal.

Footprints of Christians who combated the Moors and pushed them southwards are also evident. The frontline troops were the Military Orders of Santiago and of Alcántara that were modelled on crusaders, like the Templars, who were part monk and part knight. Spain's military-religious orders divided Extremadura between them, building impressive noble houses and palaces, most notably in the monumental cities of Cáceres and Trujillo.

Attractions

The harshness of the land bred austere men of toughness and fortitude, and Extremadura carries the title of the "Cradle of the Conquistadors" with dignity. Cortés and Pizarro, the best known of a long list of men from Extremadura that also includes Valdivia, Orellana, de Soto and Nuñez de Balboa, took human endurance to new limits as they explored, mapped and charted the recently discovered New World under unthinkably severe conditions. In fact, countless New World cities and towns adopted the names of their counterparts in Extremadura, like Trujillo, Medellín, Guadalupe, and Alburquerque (Spanish spelling). Visitors to Extremadura can tour along the Route of the Conquistadors, which passes through the towns and villages where these explorers were born and bread and where they worshipped.

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